risen sun too bright
by Toffik
Summary: Those who have recognized the title quotation already know what to expect. Komaeda decides not to go to school and undergo treatment instead, And guess who he meets in the hospital. Another translation from Polish
1. Such a strange star

'Hope's Peak?' asked Hinata, suspiciously looking at the signboard in front of him.'Whose idea was it to name a children's hospital like that? I mean, what kind of person you must be to…'  
Komaru Naegi shrugged her shoulders'

'Makoto says that it was named this way on purpose' she explained. ' You know, after all they need hope more than anybody, right?'

She was right, he had to admit it. In the place he was about to enter, hope was in a way exclusive commodity. Not everyone could afford that. He noticed that Komaru is staring at him quite plainly, without even hiding her curiosity. He could see their reflection in the glass door: short girl with grey eyes, almost covered with brown fringe and tall, thin boy with green eyes and black, messy hair. Both were wearing their school uniforms.

' What?' he murmured, a little bit annoyed by her bluntness. Knowing each other since childhood does not entitle anybody to be so intimidating.

' No, nothing ' she smiled and shook her head.' I just can't stop wondering that you agreed. I mean, it's very kinf of you, me and Makoto are very happy that you want to help. We're still lacking of volunteers. It's just... your parents told my parents that you had different plans for this school year.

'Ah, that thing' said blankly Hinata. He blushed a little and focused his gaze on the signboard. 'That thing' was very exclusive school for the most talented students. School to which only the best and the most special kids could be admitted, in which they could fulfill they dreams, achieve greatness and start their professional career. School he was still secretly dreaming of.

' Judging by your face expression, something went wrong' smirked Komaru.

' The tuition is a little bit to high' he said evasively. 'My parents would be able to afford it, but I didn't want to press them. It's not like I care that much.'

Only after a moment he realised that Komaru's brother finished the Academy. For sure she knew anything about admission requirements and tuition. Even if she realised that there is something lacking in his explanation, she didn't comment in any way.

'Anyway it's great that you decided to come here and help.'Automatic door opened in front of them.'It's not very hard work. You'll be playing with kids and sometimes changing sheets and all that stuff. We won't make you clean floors or anything like that though, so don't worry. It can be depressing at times, but you don't even know how much satisfaction you can gain' she explained, as she was dragging a little bit overwhelmed Hinata through the corridor.'Komaru Naegi, I'm here to see doctor Naegi' she said at the reception, waving with plastic ID card.' I brought a new volunteer'.

Man on the reception noted something in his papers and nodded. Komaru opened another glass door and encouraged Hinata to follow her.

He swallowed. Suddenly the idea of volunteer work on oncology ward became not so good idea. For sure much worse than few weeks ago, when agitated Komaru was telling him about helping older brother and trying to make ill children smile. Colourful walls with characters from animated series painted on them, plastic chairs and tables, toys and boxes of crayons weren't able to mask the sense of unnatural, disturbing hospital cleanliness. They intensified the uncaniness. Hinata felt that his hands are starting to sweat. His stomach was strangely cluthed.

' Komaru' he coughed. ' I don't think I…'.Surely she didn't hear him. She just kept on going, happy that she found next person willing to help. ' I don't think it's a good.' – he tried again. Suddenly he bumped at someone with the force that made him fall on his knees. '..idea' he finished. He made a clumsy effort to get up.

' Everything ok?'

He looked up, disoriented and cestfallen. The eyes he met weren't Komaru's eyes. They were very big and very pale, silvery-grey. They belonged to tall boy in green jacket, who was standing in front of Hinata, reaching out to him.

'Yeah, yeah, thanks' he murmured, accepting the help. He tried to look away but he simply couldn't. 'It's ok, it's my fault, I wasn't looking'

The boy looked at him carefully. Not as curiously as Komaru before; silvery-grey eyes were full of kind interest. Hinata was looking at him as well. He saw strands of hair sneaking out of deep hood. In the light of glow-tube they seemed almost white.

'It's not because of disease' explained the boy, smiling provocatively and waving his hand. A bracelet with patient ID was dangling from his thin wrist. 'It's just the way I am'

' Sure, I understand' said quickly Hinata. 'I mean, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to.. I didn't think that…' he looked down, feeling very embarassed. He noticed an envelope lying on the floor uneder his feet. Probably it fell from the comic book white-haired boy was holding in his hand. Seal on the envelope was strangely familiar. Hinata bent, to pick up the letter.

'Mine!' said the patient, also reaching out in the same direction. He swiftly picked up the envelope the moment before Hinata was able to put his finger on it. He started to browse through his comic book, searching for a place where the envelope was placed earlier. Hinata's eyes were fixed on the paper held between two slender fingers. He could see the seal on it clearly. More clealy that he wished to at that point. He felt dissapointment burning his throat.

' Uhm.. if I may ask..' he started awkwardly.

' Hmm?'Silvery-grey eyes were kind, still sparkling with curiosity.

' That envelope…?'

He cocked his head and started to play with strand of his weird, white hair.

' Ah, that thing' he said, as if he suddenly realised what Hinata was looking at.' Fine example of irony' he stated.' Imagine, that you are opening the maibox and you find two envelopes. One contains results of your latest medical check-up, the seconf one informs that you were admitted to'he looked at the seal. '…to those halls of awesomeness, because you were drawn in the lottey as the Super High School Level Luck.'

Hinata looked at him, startled.

'Super High School Level Luck?'he asked with the mixture of awe and jealousy. Till the end he was hoping to be the lucky one. After all it was the way Komaru's brother was admitted to the Academy. 'Really?'

'Your decision depends on which envelope you open first' continued the boy. ' If you read the start with the letter from school, you sort of assume that, since you are officially the luckiest person in the world, there cannot be anything wrong with your results, that you are completely healthly. If you start with the letter from hospital, you know that it doesn't matter to what school youwere planning to go. That your future plans are irrelevant . I think you already know' a bitter smile appeared on his face. 'which envelope I opened first'.

Before Hinata managed to come up with any good answer, somebody gently tapped his shoulder.

'I see you've already started to make friends' said Komaru, smiling at him. She must have finally realised that her temporary subordinate was left behind and she came back to look for him.' Very good, it's important to be open. Hello, Komaeda' she waved to the white-haired boy, who answered with slightly absentminded smile. 'Come on, Hinata, we need to go, Makoto is waiting for you. He wants to discuss your responsibities.'

' Yeah, so… uhm' coughed Hinata.' Bye.. I guess?'.

'See you soon, Hinata' said the patient. He waved both of them goodbye and he started to walk in the opposite direction. Hinata walked automatically, still looking at the floor. He was aware that Komaru is staring at him again. He felt that. But the only thing he could think of were strands of white hair escaping from the hood, bracelet with ID on the wrist and letter from the Academy between pages of the comic book. He felt that something is clamping around his stomach more and more tightly.

'What's wrong with him?' he asked suddenly.

Komaru gave out a small, sinister laugh.

' And you've already started to talk as if you were one of them' she said, slightly shaking her head in dissaproval.

'Hm? What?' he asked, a bit confused. ' What again?'

' The patients, you know. Every time someone new appear on this ward they ask about the diagnosis' she sighed. 'Not about name, or interests or whatever, but the diagnosis. As if the disease was somtething that defines them, their identity' Hinate felt a shiver going down his spine. Colourful corridor with big Totoro painted on the wall all of sudden felt awfully cold. 'It's hard to avoid' continued Komaru.' But Makoto expect us, volunteers, to ask about the name first' she added, assuming teacher-like manner.

'I'm sorry' he murmured, averting his gaze.'It won't happen again'.

'His name is Nagito Komaeda' said Komadu after long silence.'And he was diagnosed with late stage lymphoma'.


	2. They know who you are

After short, friendly conversation with Naegi, Hinata was directed straight to the ward. Five hospital rooms. Door leading to ICU. Corridor painted with characters from „My Neighbour Totoro". Rooms for parents and common room.

"We usually play with kids here" explained Komaru, still holding his arm, as if afraid that he is going to change his mind and run away. "Today me and Sonia are on duty, which is actually quite good. You're just going to sit here for a moment, so they can get used to you. Later you need to help with the sheets and all that stuff".

She knocked into glass door of common room. After a while slender, blonde-haired girl apeared on the corridor, carefully closing the door behind her. She had very pale complexion, blue eyes and European features.

"Sonia Nevermind" introduced her Komaru. "Princess of Novoselic and new transfer student in the Academy".

Obviously. Transfer student and an arictocrat at the same time. She had no problems enrolling to the best school in whole country.

"Hi" she said cheerfully, smiling at Hinata."So you are the new guy, right? Komaru told me that you're going to join us today".

"Uhm" answered Hinata, blushing slightly. "Hinata Hajime" he introduced himself quickly. He tried too look over the glass door to see what –more or less- he can expect.

"Nervous?" asked Sonia. 'There's no need, the kids are cute. Come on, they shouldn't stay on their own for too long".

"Yeah, yeah" he said, feeling that his face is burning from heat. He loosened the collar of his shirt.

"Don't worry" he heard familiar voice. Komaeda. He was standing in the treshold of one of the rooms, with his face still hidden under the hood. He held his comic book in one hand. Sonia gave him a stern look, to which he answered with slightly mocking smile. "They already know what kind of person you are, from the very first moment. They just want to check and make sure".

Hinata nodded his head, wondering how exactly he should understand that.

"Maybe you'll join us, just for a change?" suggested Sonia.

"Fourth Angel has just attacked" answered Komaeda, looking at his comic book."So no, I think I'll pass".

"As you wish. Hey, everybody!" she said, opening the door to the common room and peaking inside. Someone gave out a small laugh. "I have a very special guest for you. Hinata, there are everybody… well, almost everybody. Everybody, this is Hinata".

He was welcomed by at least six pairs of curious eyes. Five and a half, he corrected himself. A boy sitting next to the table had a bandage on his left eye. Left side of his face was all swollen. He couldn't be more than eight years old. He poke his tongue at Hinata and he came back to his drawing.

"Kuryuzuu" said Sonia, furrowing her brows. Hinata felt a little bit disturbed, hearing the surname associated with local mafia. "Apologise to Hinata right now!"

The boy tightened his mouth and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata" advised Sonia. "It's not his best day, that's all…"

Hinata shook his head. They both knew that it wasn't the case. Kuryuzuu knew what kind of person Hinata really is. That he's not the right person in the right place.

Through few weeks following, Hinata was sharing his time between regular, by any means dreamed school and the "Totoro ward". He was gradually learning the names of the patients, their interests, their history, their group he was trying to entertain wasn't the same every day. Someone new appeared. Someone came back from ICU, someone was sent home, someone had tests or was resting after more or less drastic medical procedurę. He hardly ever got to see

Komaeda, who was completely drawn into his comic book series and he apparently valued reading more than spending time in the common room. Hinata didn't want to insist. The atmosphere surrounding woud-be Super High School Level Luck was too disturbing for him. Even in the place that was disturbing itself.

The first person to win his heart was Nanami. She was fourteen, which made her one of the oldest patients on the ward. She was wearing pink wig and she had a deep affection for videou games. They hardly ever talked. When Hinata came from school, she just moved to make him place in fornt of the TV and gave him second power pad. They played in almost everything: adventure games, strategy games, war games, horror games. She was the first patient Hinata hasn't ask about the diagnosis. He didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know how serious is her condition, he was just hoping that they will be able to finish newest game about zombie she received from Make a Wish foundation long before official release date.

When she got weaker and she wasn't able to come to the common room, she asked Hinata to visit her. He sat on her hospital bed. She gave him second power pad. They kept playing.

She got injections and IV drop. They kept playing.

She reveived oxygen through mask. They were still playing.

She was too weak to keep the power pad in her hands. Hinata kept playing, allowing her to watch and comment his clumsy attemps.

That day they were playing really long. Longer than Hinata was expected to work in the hospital. Nanami didn't want to stop the game in the middle of the most interesting quest and she almost forced her substitute player to get to the last checkpoint before the final. She fell asleep when the fight with final boss was about to start, so Hinata just saved the game and he left the room as quietly as he could. Huge Totoro on the corridor was staring at him, hiding from the rain under leaf umbrella.

"Have you finished the game?" asked Komaeda. Hinata almost jumped. He didn't notice him at once. Super High School Level Luck was sitting on the wide windowstill with the comic book on his lap. He wasn't reading. He was just staring at the glass covered with small raindrops.

"Almost" answered honestly Hinata."We still have the final boss to deal with".

Komaeda just sighed and shook his head.

"You are getting too attached" he warned."This is going to hurt"

"It's none of your business" said Hinata, furrowing his brows.

Komaeda was looking at him with something strangely close to sympathy. City lights were reflecting in his big, silvery-gray eyes.

"If you want" he said quietly. I can finish that game with you".

"There's no need" Hinata angrily zipped his jacket."Me and Nanami are going to finish it together. Tomorrow, after I finish my classes".

Komaeda was looking at him for a moment, then he carefully shook his head again. He didn't say a word, but he started to write something on steamy windowglass. Hinata followed the movement of slender pale fingers.

„HOPE"

That was the word Komaeda has written on the glass.


	3. The final boss

Next day, after school everything was all right. He left his park under the hospital gate, as usual. The day was great – sunny, but at the same time a little chilly. The autumn was starting, so no Wonder.

When he went inside and turned in the direction of Totoro ward, everything was as usual. Colourfull corridors for the first time seemed really friendly and even cheerfull.

When he was buing his coffee in the machine as usual, there were no problems. As he was waiting for the paper cup to be filled with hot drink, he started to think about the strategy of fight with the final boss, which – according to the agreement – he was supposed to present to Nanami.

When he entered the ward, Sonia did not welcome him at the door as usual. Best friends - ten years old Koizumi and a year younger Saionji – were whispering something to each other when he passed them on the corridor. Komaru was avoiding his gaze and Makoto Naegi stood in open ICU door, talking to some people. Hinata recognized them immediately. They were Nanami's parents – he saw them few times when he was wisiting Nanami in her room, but he's never talked to them. They kept their distance, allowing their daughter to self indulge in the world of computer games. As if they didn't want to disturb her. At first he wanted to come closer and ask what it is all about, but Komaru just shook her head and invited him to the common room.

She was still trying to avoid looking into his did, in fact. Even Kuryuzuu tried not to stare at him with his one eye, barely visible behind all the bandages. Hinata didn't really care that much. He was still looking nervously at the corridor. He wasn't sure if he was doing anything apart from that. He wasn't playing video games, that's for sure. Noone did. Place in front of the TV screen was reserved for Nanami, none of the younger kids was brave enough to claim it, when he was around.

'Hinata' Komaru looked at her watch. 'I think you can go home earlier today'.

'Hm? Sorry, what?'

'You came back really late yesterday' she said. 'Your mum told my mum that she's worried.'

'No reason' he answered, for a moment raising his head from the drawing he, Saionji and Koizumi were doing. 'It's all right'.

Komaru rolled her eyes.

'Hinata, please… I'm glad that you're so devoted, but… maybe…'

Her voice drowned in scream. Someone was screaming on the corridor. A woman.

Patients looked at each other with silent understanding. They immediatelly came back to their games, blocks and drawing. Nobody was spaking. Each one of them was focusing on escaping into the world of games as deep as possible. See no evil, hear no evil.

Hinata suddenly felt nauseous. It was very hot and stuffy in the common room. Definitelly too stuuffy for him now. Setting autumn sun was getting in though the windows, hurting his eyes. Not even looking at Sonia or Komaru he left the common room. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. The woman was still screaming and crying in anguish. She was protesting, begging, pleading to help, to rescue. Behing the glass ICU door there was a hospital bed. Hinata could see people gathered around and girl's body twitching under electrodes.

'Autumn sunset' said quietly Komaeda, who also went to the corridor, lured by the turmoil. 'Way too bright in her losing eyes. '

Hinata did not answer. He felt as if he was suffocating. As if there was acrid smoke all over the corridor. As if he felt the smell of burning body.. No! He shook his head. That's not it, that's just hallucinations. Even from here he saw Nanami's body twisting and bending under new series of electric shocks.

'Stop it!' he asked, touching glass ICU door with his hand. 'Please, stop it, it's not working… stop it.

Inside the woman was still screaming, begging not to stop, to fight.

'Stop' Hinata hit the glass with his hand. ' You're hurting her, don't you understand?'

Somebody gently put hand on his shoulder. Komaeda.

'Come on, Hinata' he said patiently. 'Come with me'.

'Leave her alone' repeated Hinata, completely ignoring him. ' It won't do. Leave her alone, stop it!'.

'Come on' repeared Super High School Level Luck. Finally he manager to drag Hinata away from the door. ' We have to go'

'Go where?' asked Hinata, looking at him with confusion. He realised that his vision is blurry because of tears.'What do you want?'

'Come, Hinata',Komaeda put hand around his shoulder. 'We have to finish the game.'

So they played. They sat next to each other on hospital bed in an empty room and they played. Hinata did not ask, why Nanami's game console is now in Komaeda's room and how it is possible that the game is saved in proper moment. That were the things he didn't really want to know. The sun, too bright in Nanami's losing eyes was setting behind the window, over their fictious battlefield. Smoke from burned bodies go into their eyes, wringing tears and blurring the vision.


	4. Super High School Level Hope

'So?' asked Komaeda, when the screen of TV finally got dark. Hinata had no idea how long they've been playing. The turmoil on the corridor calmed down. Windows were dark. 'What's the thing with the Academy?'

Hinata gave him suspicious look.

'Why are you assuming that there is a thing?' he asked. He stil had his power pad in his hands.

'I remember the way you looked at my bookmark.' Reminded him Komaeda. 'And I see how you look at Sonia sometimes. As if you secretly hated her. As if you were jealous.'

Hinata did not answer. He was pressing the buttons on inactive power pad. Cross, circle, square, cross, circle, square. He got used to it when Nanami was around.

'You applied to the Academy, didn't you?' asked Komaeda, after long moment of silence. And you didn't get in?'

'Oh, I did get in' answered bitterly Hinata. He kept pressing crosses and squares. 'Only not exactly where I wanted.'.

Komaeda raised his eyebrows.

'How is that?'

'You see –there is this super high school talents program' explained grimly Hinata. 'You know, Basketball Player, Doctor, Nurse, Princess' he smirked, thinking of Sonia.

'Luck' interrupted Komaeda.

'Yes, exactly. Luck. The best of the they do not have to pay any tuition, they are the pride of the Academy. Light of our pupils, hope for the future and so on and so on' he recited. He tried to be bitter and cynical, but ideals of the Academy still managed to move him. 'And there is the other program. Reserve class.'

'How does it work?'

Hinata looked at him, slightly annoyed.

'Oh, please,stop pretending. Everybody knows, how it is with the Academy.'

'I don't' answered calmly Komaeda, looking at his reflection in the tv screen.

'They take everybody' admitted Hinata, with blank unenthusiastic voice. 'Even a talent-less losers like me, For high tuition they promise to ignite a spark of talent in them, make them perfect at something, just like everyone in the talent class. Turn them into hope for the humanity'.

'And you got to the reserve class and not the talent class, right?' asked quietly Komaeda. Hinata felt his cheek and ears burning with the memory of failure.

'They made some tests' he answered, with low, tense voice.'They admitted that they…they don't see any talent in me, that would qualify me to the talent class. That yeah, they can enroll me to the reserve class and wait until.. – he sighed. 'until maybe something would hatch. That's they way they put it.'

'Sounds lame' admitted Komaeda.'But did you try to at least give it a go?'

'At the very beginning I wanted to go there no matter what. My parents would be able to affort the tuition, it wasn't a problem. Finally I resigned. I decided to apply to normal school, Komaru encouraged me to come here…

Komaeda was listening in silence. His pale, silvery eyes seemed to register every smallest movement Hinata made.

'I have no idea why am I even explaning this to you' murmured Hinata, finnaly putting power pad away. 'Those are basics. Everyone knows.'

'I'm not especially interested in all that paperwork' said slowly Komaeda, looking at the dark screen.'Never've been'.

'You've never been interested in the Academy?' Hinata looked at him with a mixture of indignation and bewilderment.'Seriously?'

Komaeda shrugged.

'I was more focused in trying to figure out my life' he said honestly.'It tends to be… chaotic. But you' he looked at reflection of Hinata's face.' You seem fascinated with it. The Academy.'

'It used t be my biggest dream' said Hinata, with hesitation.

'So why didn't you go there?' Komaeda seemed surprised.'If yu cared to much and money weren't the problem?'

'They weren't admitted Hinata.'But.. it's stupid'

'More stupid than Shinji refusing to get into the robot and save the humanity because of daddy issues?' asked Komaeda, obviously making reference to his beloved comic books.

Komaeda sighed and shook his head.

'I just thought that… what would happen if everyone knew that I'm not super high school level talent, that I'm there as something.. something that may hatch, but for now nobody really expects that. That I would just sit there and waste time, listening everyone talking behind my back. I didn't want it this way. I prefered to let it go, enroll to normal school and menawhile.. I don't know, maybe do something useful' he finished.

'And then you came here' Komaeda smacked him with his bony elbow.

'And then I came here' admitted quietly Hinata. He was surprised how easy it was to say it. So far he avoided explaining why he had changed his plans. Even Komaru knew only short version. He wasn't sure if it was the way Komaeda talked to him, or the fact that they've just celebrated first death Hinata witnessed on Totoro ward with a video game.

'Listen' said Komaeda after a long silence.'I really think that you shouldn't care for the Academy so much. Sonia is the super high school level princess, but honestly.. she's all right. She doesn't brag or look down on anyone, I've never heard her mentioning the Academy, even once. I also got in, so what? I'm stuck here, reading comic books and dying'

'You are not..'Hinata tried to protest, but Komaeda just continued smoothly.

'That kid, Kuryuzu has place in the Academy practically from the day he was born, as would-be Super High School Level Yakuza' he smirked. 'And so what? He's sitting here and something is eating out his skull from the inside. Koizumi, Saionji, Nanami… she was about to go to the Academy as the Super High School Level Gamer, didn't she tell you?' he looked at Hinata.'No, I assume she didn't. Do you know, why?'

'Nanami was chosen as… 'Hinata blinked. It made sense. With her skills and determination she was really perfect candidate.

'Do you know why she didn't tell you?' insisted Komaeda.

Hinata looked down.

'She didn't tell you because she saw how you are looking at Sonia and me, how you seem angry and jealous. She didn't want you to stop liking her only because she had guaranteed place in school she won't go to because she's not going to live that long and you could seriously use the opportunity but you were to proud'.

Hinata looked at him, hipnotized. He didn't dare to blink.

'Seriously, mate' continued Komaeda, gently putting his hand on his shoulder. 'We all really like you here, but we have enough troubles on our own, we don't want to be afraid that one day you're going to bring a gun and shoot us all because some kids here had views to become super high school level talent of the Academy. As you can see we're not especially overflowing with hope' his voice seemed venomous.'but we're overflowing with practically everything else' he showed Hinata his wrist with the cannula fixed to it.

Hinata stoo dup. He felt as if he was kicked straight in his stomach. He needed fresh air. He needed to get out from here. Go back home, lay in his bed and never come back here again. Not after Nanami's death. Not after the words Komaeda said to him.

'It's late' he said, trying to get rid of the hand that suddenly got hold of his wrist. 'I have to go, my parents will be worried'.

'Hinata' Komaeda still held his hand.'Listen, if you want to know my opinion…'

'I don't' growled Hinata, feeling more and more annoyed.

'If you want to know my opinion, the guys from the Academy are just a bunch of made mistake, claiming that you have no talent.'

'Let go!' Hinata finally managed to free his hand. He took his schoolbag and started to walk towards the door.

'Super High School Level Hope' said Komaeda, making him freeze. Hinata turned around rapidly and looked at him. Hope. The word he wrote on the wet glass last evening.

'What?'

'In my opinion you are Super High School Level Hope' repeated Komaeda. His pale eyes were intense like never before.'You can denny that and tell me I'm crazy, but i want you to know that..' he smiled and started to play with a strand of his almost white hair. 'That I love the hope that lies in you. I love it with all my heart'.

**Yes, Komaeda is a great fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a headcanon, you cannot discuss with that. **


	5. Speaking into candles

Following night was sleepless, full of internal struggle. Hinata kept deliberating, if he should resign from the voluneering job or rather come back to the ward, despite what he have witnessed so war. He still saw glass door to ICU and Nanami's bed, fading screen of cleared game, Komaeda's hand on his wrist. Bitter words still echoed in his skull.

During next day he was barely conscious. He wasn't paying attention to his parents' conversation during breakfast, in school he was absent-minded and he had no idea what was going on around him. His head hurt and he constantly felt either too hot or too cold. His hands were sweaty and his throat was for some reason really sore. He really wanted to go back home and get at least some sleep, but after all he took his bike and rode to the Hope's Peak Children Hospital.

As he was parking his bike, he noticed that someone is watching him. He looked up. Komaeda sat on the windowstill on the second floor, probably with a comic book on his lap. He waved his hand to greet him. Hinata answered with a similar gesture and entered the building.

'No way' said Komaru, when he saw him at the doorstep of the ward. Her hands were placed on her hips, her eyes were very serious.'Go back home, Hinata. You're not entering the ward today.'

'But…' he coughed. 'About yesterday.. It's fine, really. It was a bit depressing, but I'm all right. I can go back to work. I didn't care that much…'

'Maybe you didn't' she sighed. 'But it seems that your body did' she placed her hand on his forehead and she moved away quickly, as if she was burned.'Man, you have like forty Celsius degrees fever, how on earth can you still walk on your own?'

'It's nothing, really' he answered. He grabbed her shoulder in order to clear himself the way to the ward. 'I'm going to be fine'

'You- yes' she answered, still blocking the door. 'But have you thought about them? Are you aware, you stupid egoist, that you are planning to enter with your fever of unknown origin to the ward full of kids with zero immunity that can be killed by any infection?! Are you crazy? It may be just your body's response to stress, but it can as well be some sort of virus or bacteria or something. You can kill them only by plyaing the hero and showing how heroic and determined you are!'

Hinata stepped back. He felt that his face and ears are burning. Fever. Infection. Oncological ward. It really didn't sound like the best mixture ever.

'If you want to show your devotion only to feel better with yourself, go help in the school library, take your neighbour's dog for a walk or I don't know… whatever, just get out of here. Go play hero somewhere else.

He sat on one of small plastic chairs on the corridor. He felt more and more nauseous. His head was throbbing with pain.

'Ok, calm down' Komaru's voice seemed to come from very far away, from a thick fog. Cold hand was again placed on his forehead. 'Now walk down to the reception hall, call a taxi. I cannot come back to the kids because I had contact with you, I might've got infected as well. I'll just call for someone to replace me and we'll come back home together. I'll tell Makoto to come and see you, as soon as he finishes his job.'

Hinata nodded.

He wasn't sure how exactly did he come back home. When he and Komaru were getting into the taxi, he felt Komaeda's gaze on his neck.

The next thing he remembered clearly was bed, tea with ginger and intensive taste of medicines. Makoto Naegi visited him in the evening, passing apologies from Komaru and ensuring that the ward didn't collapse without the presence of one of the volunteers. They talked a little about Nanami, but not for long. Soon afterwards Hinata fell asleep. He didn't have any dreams, he just got completely blank. When he woke up and grabbed his mobile phone, there were several missed calls from Sonia and Komaru. Parents wrote him a text message informing that they went shopping and will be back soon and the breakfast is on the table. There was also one message from unknown number.

It said: **How's your health?**

**Thanks, I'm fine** he wrote back, wondering, who might be the author. He had the numbers of people from his class that would have any reason to contact him, he also had numbers of other volunteers from the hospital.** Who's asking?**

Next answer arrived after few minutes.

**Komaru explained to us that you tried to get to the ward yesterday in order to start an epidemic of sepsis and she had to take you back home, risking her own life, poor thing. So, you're planning to take your revenge on would-be Academy students after all?**

**Komaeda?** he raised his eyebrows. **Where did you get my number from?**

The answer was immediate this time.

**Komaru**

Hinata put on his hoodie and left the room. His throat was still sore and his head was heavy, but generally he felt much better. The breakfast seemed to be good idea. His weakened body demanded some nutrition.

**Did she give you my number?** he asked, sitting at the table with a bowl of warm miso soup.

**She left her notebook with numbers to all the volunteers in the common room. It's nice to know that the thing that is eating me out didn' t manage to eat my luck yet.**

Hinata didn't write back immediatelly, too busy with his food. When he finished eating, there was another message on the screen.

**Are you planning to come back to us, SHSL Hope?**

**Yes** answered honestly Hinata. **But Doctor Naegi says that I must get better first. Contrary to that you may suspect, I'm not keen on bio terrorism**

**I know** answered Komaeda.. T**hat was very nice of you. That you wanted to come even when you felt sick. Heroic, stupid and suitable for SHSL Hope.**

Hinata stare dat the screen. He wasn't sure what should he say. He didn't even know if proper answer exists. Finally he decided for rather neutral **what's new in Hope's Peak?**

**In brief: Kuryuzuu is not coming to the common room any more because they cut too little tumor and too much brain, Saionji and Koizumi made some sort of memory wall for Nanami and Nidai is happy because he can finally play all her we have a new kid**

**New kid?** asked Hinata, to avert the attention from first three pieces of information. They were too heartbreaking. He didn't want to talk about Nanam.** What 's his name?**

**Hodgkin's lymphoma. But luckily he also responds to „Sir Porkfeet", you'll find out why when you come back**

Hinata looked at the phone, angrily furrowing his brows. Komaru's words about identifying the patient with the disease still rang in his ears and what Komaeda wrote only made them more audible. He counted to ten and then he decided that he cannot resist and he started to create very long message, informing about his feelings toward speaker's attitude.

In consequence of this, they spent all day and all night arguing through their mobile phones about what Komaeda should or shouldn't say in his situation. Komaeda consequently claimed that in his situation there is no „should" or „shouldn't" and that he can say everything that comes to his mind. Hinata attackeked him more and more fiercely, trying to convince him that he is very wrong. Only the next morning he realised that probably Komaeda is enjoying this. After next few hours he realised that this exchange of arguments is in fact quite satisfying. Messages from Super High Schol Level Luck were cynical, blasphemous and provocative, but at the same time surprisingly funny. Hinata was trying to catch up with his schoolwork. Fom time to time he was checking if there are any new messages.

They were talking almost constantly. Not only about mysterious Sir Porkfeet, (whose name Hinata was still unable to obtain), but about Komaeds's comic books, Hinata's homework, some news in tv, and the the article Hinata read in a newspaper. The article was about the student from the Academy, who from a member of Reserve Class turned into boy with so many talents that he was proclaimed „Super High School Level Hope:.

**Jealous, hm?** asked Komaeda, when Hinata summarized large part of official statement. **When are you coming to the ward with mass destruction weapon?**

**Come on** answered quickly Hinata. **I'm not bringing any weapon. It's my fault. I should've decided to go there after all.**

**You are hurting my feelings, SHSL Hope** Hinata winced a little bit, seeing this nickname. **I know, you're rolling your eyes and gaining energy to yell at me for calling you this way and comitting the sin of blasphemy by referring to the humble human being you are with the name reverved to one and only Academy's Project.**

Hinata smiled and took a sip of coffee. Komaeda predicted his reaction flawlessly, as always, even though he was sitting with a boy named Sir Porkfeet in the hospital room and playing some board game (earlier messages indicated that that's what they were doing).

**Why am I hurting your feelings?**

**By claiming that you'd be better off in the Academy than here, with us**

**I'm not claiming that** protested Hinata, fighting with the need to use capital letters.

**But you're wondering. You are thinking of what ifs. You are angry with yourself because you had a chance to become that ultimate genius and you forfeit that for the opportunity to go to the normal school and spend time with kids who had their heads cut open and some undesirable things taken out. Which, obviously, is worse, more saddening and pathetic option than being a guinea pig that has its head cut open and many undesirable things placed inside.**

**Bold theory** admitted Hinata. During past few days he learned to react to Komaeda's provocations less nervously. **Why do you assume that they cut open your skull and put something inside?**

He had to wait an hour to get an answer.

**I'm sorry, Sir Porkfeet wanted revenge because he was beaten shamelessly. As it comes to the Academy, think for a while. Only few weeks passed since the beginning of the year. How could they make a genius out of a random guy?And how exectly did they look for his talent?**

**To many robot tales** answered impatiently Hinata. It was evening already and after whole day of studying he felt sleepy. **His body still needed more rest than night, SHSL Luck.**

He started preparing himself to sleep. He took a shower, came down to spend some time with parents and watch TV together. He made his bed and only after he was already lying under soft, warm douvet, he decided to check his phone for new messages. There were two, both from Komaeda.

The first one said: **Yet you are continually understanding it/ though now you are drained of all meaning/ and out of politeness try to remember/how to be completely afraid.**

He sat in silence for a while, staring at the screen. He was wondering if those words can be in any way referred to their conversation today. It was on of those Komaeda's utterances that seemed to be absolutelly lacking context. They could've meant nothing at all. They could've meant absolutelly everything. He read the message one more time, There was something sad and helpless in those words. There was Komaeda.

He opened the second message and read the explanation that the first was was a line from a poem named „Speaking into candles" that Komaeda was reading and deemend nice enough to share it.

**Your tales about angels and robots are finished and you switched to poetry?** mocked him Hinata.

**I've always thought that the ability to connect angels, robots and poetry is a basis of harmony and peace of mind**

Hinata couldn't find any arguments against it. He shooked his head with smile and put his phone back on the bedside table. It rang quietly, informing about new message.

**For all of as you are the real Super High School Level Hope. Come back as soon as possible.**


End file.
